Encouraging 100,000 women to learn to ride either by taking the Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge New Rider Course or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic RiderCourseSM training program. Several Rider's Edge New Rider Courses and MSF Basic RiderCourses are scheduled for the first weekend of May.

Activities for the 3rd Annual International Female Ride Day on Friday, May 1, 2009, which was founded by Vicki Gray of Motoress.com. The day celebrates women of all ages who take life by the handlebars by encouraging them to ride. Harley-Davidson plans to stage special rides in New York City and Milwaukee to commemorate International Female Ride Day. Harley-Davidson dealerships, subsidiaries and suppliers across the world have been encouraged to plan rides in their areas.

"Women have been enjoying the sport of motorcycling for the last century," said Leslie Prevish, women's outreach manager, Harley-Davidson. "In the past two decades, we've seen a dramatic increase in number of women embrace the sport. By declaring May as Women Riders Month, we're honoring all of the women who enjoy the freedom and adventure found in taking control of their own handlebars."

In the past 20 years, the percentage of women who have purchased new Harley-Davidson motorcycles has tripled, with women now accounting for nearly 12 percent of new Harley-Davidson motorcycle purchases.

"We know there are thousands of women who are interested in the sport, but aren't sure where to start," said Prevish. "We are encouraging women to learn how to ride a motorcycle to increase the women rider community and help them along their journey."

According to the story, data from The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) indicates that scooters and dual-purpose bikes were hot sellers.

Gas prices were a major factor in the sales increase, as consumers chose smaller vehicles for communiting, not just recreational riding. Sales of four brands of scooter were up 41.5% compared to 2007. Dual-purpose bike sales rose 22.8%.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

According to Moto Guzzi, the V7 Classic is somewhat smaller than other Moto Guzzis, it is ideally suited for carrying passengers with a comfortable saddle, convenient handholds and well positioned footpegs.

The key to the bike lies in its twin cradle frame with removable bolt-on lower components. Great attention was paid to the steering geometry where the rake is set at 27°50’ to ensure stability and precision when cornering.

Of no less importance are the 40 mm Marzocchi forks. Travel on the front suspension is 130 mm and works in combination with two adjustable rear shock absorbers with 118 mm travel. Braking is looked after by a 320 mm floating disc at the front and a 260 mm disc at the rear. The V7 Classic is fitted with 18” wheels up front and 17” at the rear with high profile tyres so as to offer superb handling and feed-back characteristics.

The small block from Mandello is fed by an electronic Weber Marelli fuel injection system with 36 mm throttle bodies and a Lambda probe that puts the engine firmly into the Euro 3 homologation category. The five-speed gearbox is precise with neutral easy to find and the ratios have been chosen for touring purposes to provide an exciting, immediate response.

In terms of maximum performance, maximum torque of 54.7 Nm comes in at only 3600 rpm. That doesn’t mean poor acceleration however as the maximum power output of nearly 50 CV is synchronised to perfection with the characteristics of the V7 Classic.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Legendary movie actor Steve McQueen always had a passion for motorcycles and cars, even getting behind the wheel to perform his own stunts. He was such skilled motorcycle rider that he supported himself during his early acting years with money from wining races.

Métisse Motorcycles pays tribute to Steve McQueen with a replica of his own bike. According to Métisse Motorcycles, the ‘Métisse Desert Racer’ as originally built by Steve McQueen for serious competition use and is authentically hand built by Métisse Motorcycles in England, fully endorsed by Steve McQueen’s estate, and features his signature on each one of these exact replicas.

A limited number of 300 will be built, complete with official certificate of authenticity from the company.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

While a tough economy has hurt vehicle sales of all types and brands, BMW Motorrad USA recently reported a gain (0.6 percent) in 2008 sales compared to 2007.

According to BMW, following a strong performance during each of the last six consecutive months, BMW motorcycle sales outperformed overall U.S. motorcycle sales, which dropped more than seven percent last year. Both retail and wholesale performance during October 2008 established all-new BMW Motorrad USA records.

"Our sustained success during these very difficult economic times speaks volumes about the strength of our brand, our new model initiatives and the quality of our dealers." commented Pieter de Waal, Vice President, BMW Motorrad USA.

"The popularity of these new models demonstrates that more motorcyclists are embracing an adventure-sport lifestyle and seeking a modern combination of on- and off-road capabilities to explore roads less traveled," added Mr. de Waal. "We have just the right motorcycles for these riders. We also have a great partner in BMW Financial Services which has allowed us to continue to finance consumers' motorcycle purchases during these difficult financial times."

This year, BMW Motorrad USA will introduce several new models to the U.S. market: the 2009 BMW K 1300 S -- the most powerful street-legal bike offered by BMW, the 2009 K 1300 GT, and BMW's all-new 2009 World Superbike contender, the S 1000 RR.

According to Harley-Davidson, it starts with a factory-fresh steel front fender, rear fender and fuel tank. Each component is treated to a light-catching grind finish, then immediately painted with a satin-black tartan pattern that reveals the bare steel.

All surfaces are then painted with a protective matte clear-coat. The distinctive metallic plaid pattern is accented with a gothic Harley-Davidson script logo on the tank sides. Painted to original-equipment Harley-Davidson quality standards, this paint set is backed by a two-year warranty.

The Custom Grind Collection – Alpha paint set is also available for 2008-later Softail Custom and Night Train, the 2009 Dyna Street Bob and 2008-later Dyna Fat Bob, and the 2007-later Sportster Nightster models.